Matric results given the all-clear for release

TIGHT security measures and system improvements have paid off for the Department of Basic Education‚ with not a single question paper leaked for the first time in years.

Despite minor incidences of individual irregularities where candidates were caught with script notes and cellphones in examination centres‚ Umalusi is satisfied that there were no systematic irregularities that might have compromised the credibility and integrity of the examinations.

Umalusi CEO‚ Dr Mafu Rakometsi‚ yesterday said irregularities were isolated and these had been managed appropriately by blocking results of affected candidates.

He, however, said they were running one of the biggest systems in the country and it would be difficult to give the exact number of exam irregularities. “… for us to know individual acts of dishonesty would be difficult, but they are very small. We are talking here about learners bringing in script notes. Those would be isolated incidents. We are talking here about a learner coming into the examination room with a cellphone and you also get incidents of learners assisting each other‚” he said.

Giving the results a green light‚ Professor John Volmink‚ chairman of Umalusi Council‚ said … “the executive committee of council approves the release of the DBE results for the November 2017 NSC examinations … ”

He, however, said this was on condition that the results of the candidates implicated in the examination irregularities be blocked and be investigated and the outcome of the investigations reported to Umalusi.

DBE spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said they were pleased that their interventions in preventing irregularities had paid off.

He said among the major interventions was that they profiled all examination centres and singled out those that had had challenges in the past.

“We put more people there to ensure more monitoring is done and some lost their licences and were not given statuses of exam centres‚” Mhlanga said.

He said they also reduced the time of delivering question papers‚ saying that the challenge at some stage last year was that question papers would languish in their storerooms for about a week‚ which he said gave people opportunity to break into the store and steal or photograph question papers.

Basic Education Minister‚ Angie Motshekga‚ is expected to release the examination results on Thursday.